Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Dec 31, 2019
State of Missouri vs. Jereil L. Fikes
Jereil Fikes appealed his conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm following a bench trial, arguing the State failed to prove he knew he was a convicted felon. The appellate court affirmed the conviction, holding that knowledge of a prior felony conviction is not an element of the offense under Missouri Statute § 571.070. The court relied on the plain language of the statute and prior Southern District precedent to conclude that the "knowingly" element applies only to the possession of the firearm, not to the defendant's status as a felon.